Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra
- PC : ANI
India's hope at the Paris Olympics rest heavily on day 13, when Tokyo gold medalist Neeraj Chopra competes in the men's javelin throw final. Chopra secured his place in the final with an impressive opening throw of 89.34m.
Who is Neeraj Chopra?
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, popularly known as Olympic Champion, was born to a family of farmers from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana on December 24, 1997. He made history by winning India's first-ever gold medal in athletics at the Tokyo Olympics on August 7, 2021.
Family details
Neeraj 's mother Saroj Devi is a housewife. His father Satish Kumar is a farmer. Due to his weight, Chopra was constantly encouraged by his relatives to engage in physical activities. Eventually, he chose to pursue javelin throw and began his practice at the Shivaji Stadium in Panipat.
After a year of practice, at the age of 23, Chopra was welcomed into the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula. There, his mentor Naseem Ahmad introduced him to long-distance running in addition to javelin throw.
Education
Neeraj completed his early education in his hometown, Khandra Village. He graduated from Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Chandigarh. Neeraj Chopra is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, Punjab, according to media reports.
Achievements
By the conclusion of 2012, Neeraj Chopra achieved the title of U-16 national champion. In 2014, he secured his first international medal, a silver, during the Youth Olympics Qualification held in Bangkok. The following year, he earned his inaugural medal at a national senior championship, achieving a throw of 77.33 metres at the Inter-State event in Chennai.
Shortly thereafter, he claimed a gold medal at the National Open Championships in Kolkata. The year 2016 marked a significant turning point for Neeraj Chopra, as he won a gold medal at the South Asian Games in Guwahati with a remarkable throw of 82.23 metres.He continued to enhance his abilities under the mentorship of Uwe Hohn, Gary Calvert, and Werner Daniels.
For his performance in national and international tournaments, Indian Army decided to make him a Junior Commission Officer in 2017.
Arjuna Award for Athletics- 2018
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award- 2021
Padma Shri- 2022
